By Benson Daniel
Iran has blamed the presence and military operations of the United States in the region for pollution affecting Gulf waters following a series of oil spills reported around the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the environmental damage was linked to decades of US military activity and wars in the region. He argued that the environmental consequences extended beyond the current conflict and had accumulated over several decades.
The comments came as oil pollution was reported along parts of Iran’s southern coastline, including Qeshm Island, while a separate major spill has affected waters and coastal areas off Oman.
Satellite observations have identified two significant pollution events in the region. One is located near Iran’s Qeshm and Hengam islands, while another has affected waters around Oman’s Hallaniyat Islands and the southern coast of the country.
The pollution has raised concerns about the environmental consequences of increasing maritime tensions in the Gulf, a region that serves as a major route for global energy supplies and supports important marine ecosystems.
Oil residues have reached parts of Qeshm Island, including environmentally sensitive coastal areas and mangrove habitats. A separate tanker incident off Oman has produced a much larger oil slick, with satellite monitoring showing the contamination spreading across a wide area.
Iran has maintained that foreign military activity is a major source of environmental damage in the Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Baqaei said the consequences should not be viewed solely through the lens of the current conflict, pointing instead to what Tehran described as decades of military presence and regional warfare.
The latest pollution incidents have intensified concerns over the vulnerability of Gulf waters, particularly as attacks involving commercial vessels and heightened military activity have disrupted maritime traffic around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Environmental researchers have warned that prolonged oil leakage could cause significant damage to marine ecosystems, fisheries and coastal communities. The impact could be particularly serious in protected areas and sensitive habitats where oil contamination can persist for extended periods.
The incidents have also highlighted the difficulties of responding to environmental emergencies in an active conflict zone. Maritime restrictions, security concerns and geopolitical tensions can delay efforts to assess spills, contain pollution and begin large scale clean up operations.
Iran’s accusations come amid competing accounts over the causes of some of the reported pollution. Monitoring and satellite data have linked at least one spill near Qeshm to a damaged commercial vessel, while another major spill off Oman has been associated with a tanker that grounded after an earlier incident.
The growing environmental damage has added another dimension to the wider Gulf crisis, with concerns extending beyond military and economic consequences to the long term health of the region’s marine environment.
As oil slicks continue to threaten coastal waters, pressure is expected to increase on governments and maritime operators to identify the sources of pollution, contain the spills and protect vulnerable ecosystems from further damage.
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